‘We’re trained to do it’ says paramedic

Heart attack victim Rashad Mahmood thanks paramedic, James Kirkham, who saved his life.

Published:17:00Tuesday 25 June 2013

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A taxi driver who ‘died’ before being brought back to life has expressed his thanks to the paramedic that helped him escape death following an extremely rare and unexpected cardiac arrest.

Rashad Mahmood’s heart stopped just minutes after he alerted the emergency services that he had chest pains over the phone.

Luckily paramedic James Kirkham was quick at the scene arriving to Rashid’s Newstead Grove home just moments before he collapsed and went into cardiac arrest.

Following the ordeal Rashid, 32, described how he “was drifting into death”

“They brought me back from the dead,” Rashid said.

ParamedicJames explained what happened.

He said: “It’s very, very rare. He called us with chest pains. I work alone on a a response vehicle, I got to him within a couple of minutes . I just tried to reassure him and calm him down.

“Then he just leapt out the chair and collapsed to the floor which I thought was unusual because he went down with a big thud.

“He was in cardiac arrest which at 32 is incredibly unusual. I was able to get the pads on, shock him and we got his pulse and his breathing back.

Rashad was then taken to Calderdale Royal A&E before being transferred to Leeds General Infirmary where medical staff treated the cause of the initial heart attack – a blocked artery – before returning back to Calderdale and miraculously being discharged from hospital within a matter of days.

Rashad said: “I’d give anything to stay alive it’s a new life for me I’m thankful to everybody who was involved.”

life. It’s really emotional for me it’s like one of my nine lives.

“It was a deep sleep to me like a feeling that I just wanted to be asleep. I wanted nobody to disturb me.

“I would say that they were waking me up from death, I wasn’t breathing and my heart wasn’t beating.

“The paramedic saved my life.”

James said: “He’s had a very, very, very lucky escape which just shows what we can do. We are trained to do it we haven’t done anything out of the ordinary and it just shows how effective it can be if we get there quick enough.

“It was a team effort – we did our bit, Calderdale did their bit and Leeds did their bit.”

“I still can’t believe what I’ve been through,” said Rashid.

“I cry for myself sometimes – I just start crying myself over what I’ve been through.””